People! It is happening.

Paris.

Oh, my Paris … my most beloved {um, city, what like I’m talking about a person?}. How I shall soon return to thee, as though we never parted ways.

Your loving croissants, filling me up on carb overload, your streets I hope to lose myself in, all that second hand smoke in the Luxembourg Gardens … you are the promise of everything good and right to come.

I can hardly believe it. People!! Another Paris. This time, a first — with TC. Yes, let’s allow that to sink in, shall we?

I have no idea what to expect, but I know it’s going to be off the charts à la TC’s high maintenance, “it’s all about ME” approach to just about everything.

Our very first trip. All these years and we’ve never left the country together. This trip has literally been a good 7 years in the making. He’s traveled extensively with The Brothers. And GD, I wanted it to be our turn.

When I thought about the timing … summer is out of the question, next up a wedding happening, then we’ll be gearing up for the Holidays, and then who knows? Who knows where we’ll be … for all I know I’ll be knocked up.

Uh yes. Let’s not consider that. It still utterly terrifies me. If this was four or five years ago, I’d be all, bring it on, baby! I’ll take you down!

Now? Now I’m pretty sure baby would take me down and honestly People … it gets harder the older you get to want children. Well, for me, it does. I remember when I was 20 thinking I wanted three kids. HA. What the hell was I on?!

All I know now is that three kids would surely obliterate me. There’s no way I could win that one. I can hardly handle my little M&M hell raisers.

But I get way ahead of myself. Let’s blissfully ignore the possibilities of me having to care for a living, breathing being. Because for now!

It is all about Paris. Paris Paris Parissssssssss. All mine.

The mere thought of this trip has me feeling like I just downed 5 Guatemalans. That’s coffee. See, it does sound like I’m talking about real people! That’s always how I feel when I order my, yes I need a Guatemalan please.

The stars aligned for this one, People. It wasn’t looking good for a while and I finally gave up. I said, Universe! I am DONE. You do the heavy lifting here if I’m supposed to go. Otherwise, I’ll wait. Not all that patiently, mind you, but I’ll try.

The Universe clearly kicked things up into high gear, and even TC’s health seems to be decent enough to go. As I told him, better to feel bad in Paris than in gloomy, gray Ohio.

The anticipation is building now. I feel it bubbling inside of me, coming up too high to the surface and then I tone it down, only to have it start up all over again.

This trip not only feels significant and important — I know it this time. Something told me we needed to go. This trip is part of The Plan. I mean, whatever The Plan is — not like I’d know.

And it’s home. Every ounce of my being is overjoyed because it feels the closeness of its home.